Telecommunications and data equipment are typically connected to a service by an electrical connector. Common connectors for such uses are RJ-11 and RJ-45 plugs. Conventional RJ-11 and RJ-45 plugs are shown in FIGS. 1-4.
The RJ-11 plug 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has six contacts 2 disposed in six slots 3 in the plug housing 4. The RJ-11 plug is typically used for connecting communications devices, such as between a telephone and a telephone jack in the wall.
The RJ-45 plug 5 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 has eight contacts 6 disposed in eight slots 7 in the plug housing 8. The RJ-45 plug is typically used for Ethernet connections for local area networks (LANs), such as between a computer and a router.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the RJ-11 plug body 4 has a first width W1 that is less than a second width W2 of the RJ-45 plug body 8. Telephone and computer devices are often found in close proximity to one another. Because the RJ-11 and RJ-45 plugs have similar appearances and sizes, the RJ-11 plug can easily be mistaken for the RJ-45 plug. When the RJ-11 plug 1 is accidentally inserted in an RJ-45 jack, the portions of the plug housing immediately adjacent the first and last plug contacts 2 engage the first and last contact pins of the RJ-45 jack and over-deflect those contact pins. When the mistake is realized and the RJ-11 plug is withdrawn, the first and last contact pins of the RJ-45 jack may have been permanently damaged by the improper insertion of the RJ-11 plug into the RJ-45 jack.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,562 to Leong et al. discloses an RJ-45 jack having a groove 32 extending rearwardly from a front face, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, to allow an inadvertently inserted RJ-11 plug to rise upward and away from the outer jack fingers 14. As shown in FIG. 5B, an upper surface of the inadvertently RJ-11 plug is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of the RJ-45 jack. Accordingly, the RJ-11 plug can still engage and damage the jack fingers 14.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved plug receptacle having a relief pocket to accept insertion of a non-complementary plug and substantially prevent damage to contact pins of the receptacle by the insertion of the improper plug.